Macy Gray

Known for her raspy voice and unusual style, R&B singer-songwriter Macy Gray went multi-platinum with her 1999 pop crossover hit “I Try.” • Hailing from Canton, Ohio, Gray studied screenwriting at the University of Southern California. When a friend asked her to sing with his jazz band, she discovered her vocal talent and began shifting her focus to music. • After a failed deal with Atlantic Records, Gray landed on Epic for her 1999 debut album, On How Life Is. • The album blew up on account of its second single, “I Try,” which earned Gray a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and remains the singer’s only Top 40 hit. (It peaked at No. 5.) On How Life Is went triple platinum in the US and has sold seven million copies worldwide. • Though her 2001 sophomore effort, The Id, missed the Top 10 and didn’t yield any major hit singles, the album achieved gold sales. • Gray’s fourth album, 2007’s Big, features guest appearances by Natalie Cole, Fergie, and Justin Timberlake. • The singer embraced her jazz roots on her ninth studio album, 2016’s Stripped, recorded in a decommissioned Brooklyn church. • As an actress, she’s appeared in films like Training Day and The Paper Boy.